


Empty

by roughlycut



Series: 100 drabbles in 100 days [25]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Bucky Barnes Recovering, M/M, Protective Natasha, Protective Steve, tactile sensitivity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 14:51:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7688728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roughlycut/pseuds/roughlycut
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky is lying motionless on the bed, curled up around himself, back facing the doorway where Steve is standing. He’s been lying like this since Nat came by with him, almost 2 hours ago. They put him on the bed, expecting him to eventually tell them what had happened, expecting he’d come around. But so far there has been no progress.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Empty

”Bucky, we need to talk about this,” he says, softly, as to not startle the other man.

There’s no answer. Bucky is lying motionless on the bed, curled up around himself, back facing the doorway where Steve is standing. He’s been lying like this since Nat came by with him, almost 2 hours ago. They put him on the bed, expecting him to eventually tell them what had happened, expecting he’d come around. But so far there has been no progress.

Steve can hear Nat walking around in the kitchen, talking to someone on the phone. She sounds agitated.

“I’m coming in,” Steve mumbles as he enters the room, closing the door behind him, giving both Nat and the two of them some privacy.

He carefully sits down on the bed. Bucky stirs a little, but otherwise there’s no indication of change.

“Bucky I know … I know it’s been difficult coming back, a-and I know that the way I came back, that it … it’s not the same. But you can’t just … I got worried, okay, I got worried when you didn’t come home last night and when I called Nat and she said you never showed, I-I …” Steve’s voice trails off, the lump in his throat making it hard to speak. He wants to grab Bucky, hold him tight, kiss him all over and tell him everything will be okay, that he’s safe here, that there is no need to run, but he knows how Bucky responds to being touched normally, and with the state he’s in now, it’ll probably be a lot worse.

There’s footsteps in the hallway and a soft knock on the door.

“Steve, I think I might have a lead, so I’m gonna go check it out,” Natasha says from the other side. Steve’s about to answer, but by the sound of the front door closing, he figures she’s already left.

Steve leans back against the headboard of the bed and closes his eyes, letting the tiredness wash over him. Bucky isn’t going anywhere. He’s home and he’s right there next to him.

~

The sound of a muffled cry makes Steve’s eyes spring open. He doesn’t know how long he’s been out, but Bucky has turned around, hands clutched around the sheets and his forehead resting against Steve’s open hand. His eyes are closed and his whole body is shaking as tears are running down his cheeks, seeping into the pillow under him. Instinctively Steve reaches out and brushes some of Bucky’s hair from his face, gently soothing him. Bucky quickly pulls away from Steve’s hand and furrows his brow, slowly opening his eyes.

“Bucky?” Steve asks softly. Bucky sniffles and looks up at him through wet eyelashes, and Steve can see the the confusion in his eyes, the terror of what have happened to him so visible in his expression.

“How do you feel?” Steve asks carefully, trying to keep his voice steady as he can feel tears swelling up in his eyes.

“Empty,” Bucky mumbles, looking directly at Steve, “I-I just feel … empty.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is a part of my 100 drabbles in a 100 days fic challenge. This is from day 34.  
> The paring I drew for this one was Steve & Bucky and the word was "empty".  
>   
> If you want to you can read more about the challenge here: [100 drabbles in 100 days challenge](http://silasbatman.tumblr.com/post/145883214882/100-drabbles-in-100-days-challenge)  
>   
> The fics I don't post here on AO3 you can read over at my [tumblr](http://roughlycut.tumblr.com) :)


End file.
